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November 15, 2018

Tofu Parmigiana

Feature Recipe | Tofu Parmigiana

Crispy pan-fried tofu ‘cutlets’ topped with tomato sauce and loaded with mozzarella and parmesan, then baked… it doesn’t get much better than this 😊. This recipe has been in our household for over a decade now…in fact it was the dish I made Janik for our first Valentine’s Day dinner together. At that time (of course) we were vegetarian and so copious amounts of aged parmesan were used in the breadcrumb mixture for the tofu coating and in the tomato sauce (not to mention a generous dash of parmesan on top of the mozzarella to cap off the dish with even more cheese!) To veganize this dish I use a simple cashew-based parmesan cheese you can whip up in under three minutes along with Daiya® Cutting Board series mozzarella-style shreds (the variety I’ve found to have the best melt, stretch and bubble factor). Blending our vegan parmesan cheese with Panko, basil, salt and cornstarch makes for the ultimate coating that gives your pan-fried tofu a crispy, golden finish.

The Simple Savoury Tomato Sauce is my go-to recipe for tomato sauce that is as versatile as they come….I call it Tomato Bliss Sauce 😊. It calls for plain tomato sauce as well as canned diced tomatoes so it’s hassle-free and can be ready in under a half hour. If you can find the fire-roasted variety of diced tomatoes use them – they lend a sweet, slightly caramelized depth to the sauce you just can’t get with plain diced tomatoes. Be sure to add our cashew-based parmesan cheese during the final stage of making the tomato sauce…it adds an unbeatable creamy and savoury dimension to the sauce that balances the sweetness of the tomatoes.

Looking to add some tomato bliss to your dinner plans this week? Why not try these Vegan Rhapsody favourites:

Ready ItPan-Fried Tofu
1/Add ingredients to each of three small (prep) bowls: breadcrumb mixture, flour and soy milk.
2/Cut the tofu into 1/4″ slabs (or preferred thickness) and soak up any excess moisture with a paper towel.
3/Dip each tofu slab (both sides) in each of three bowls, following this sequence: Flour, Soy Milk & Breadcrumb Mixture
Place each coated tofu slab on a plate (not touching one another). If time allows, let sit in the fridge for 10-15 minutes.
4/Pour enough olive oil in your skillet to cover the pan’s surface. Once the oil is hot (give or take 5 minutes), transfer the tofu slabs to the skillet one at a time. Place the slabs so they do not touch one another. Fry the tofu slabs until golden brown and crispy. Repeat for the other side. 5/Transfer the pan-fried tofu slabs onto a paper-towel covered plate. The paper towel will help to soak up excess oil. Set aside.

Simply Savoury Tomato Sauce1/Add a glug of olive oil to a pot on medium-low heat. Toss the chopped onion and minced garlic into pot (along with a pinch of salt). Sauté until the mixture is golden brown and/or translucent.
2/Add tomato sauce, balsamic vinegar, cane sugar, water, vegetable bouillon powder and pinch each of dried basil and salt to the pot. Cook (lid covered) for 5 minutes on medium-high heat. 3/Add half the reserved diced tomato-tomato sauce mixture and 2 Tbsp parmesan cheese to the pot. Simmer (lid partially covered) for 15-20 minutes on medium-high heat.
4/Add another 2 Tbsp parmesan cheese to the pot. Using an immersion blender (or similar) blend the sauce until smooth. Your sauce is now ready; set aside.

Assemble It
1/Spread the remaining half of the diced tomato-tomato sauce mixture on the bottom of a casserole dish. Arrange the pan-fried tofu slabs over the sauce.
2/Cover the tofu slabs with reserved Simply Savoury Tomato Sauce (Note: You will have plenty of left over sauce!)
3/Sprinkle mozzarella shreds over the sauce-covered tofu slabs.

Recipe Notes

*How to prep Savoury Parmesan Cheese:
Add dry ingredients to a food processor or high-powered blender. Pulse until well combined. Add lemon juice. Pulse until the mixture just starts to combine.Important! Don’t pulse too much– the cheese should be granular and not a paste!